Blueberry plant named &#39;Lucia&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Blueberry cultivar is provided that is the product of a controlled breeding program followed by selection. The cultivar flowers and fruits at late-season. Attractive firm light blue berries are formed which exhibit an excellent sweet flavor. The plant is not self-fertile, and displays a vase-shaped growth habit with deciduous foliage. Cross-pollination is required. A low chilling requirement also is exhibited. No special sensitivity to common blueberry diseases has been encountered during observations to date. The new cultivar is well adapted for growing in well-drained soils outside tunnels.

BOTANICAL/COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION

Vaccinium corymbosum L./Blueberry Plant

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

cv. Lucia

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Blueberry cultivar of the present invention was the product ofcontrolled artificial pollination carried out in a greenhouse atGreenwood, Fla., U.S.A., wherein two parents were crossed whichpreviously had been studied in the hope that they would contribute thedesired characteristics. The female parent (i.e., the seed parent) wasthe unreleased ‘FL 98-325’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States).The male parent (i.e., pollen parent) was the unreleased ‘FL 96-102’cultivar. The parentage of the new cultivar can be summarized asfollows:

‘FL 98-325’×‘FL 96-102’.

The seeds resulting from the pollination were shipped to Almonte,Huelva, Spain, where they sown during approximately 2000, small plantswere obtained which were physically and biologically different from eachother, and selective research of the progeny was carried out. Selectivestudy during the Spring of 2003 resulted in the identification of asingle plant of the new cultivar. Initially the plant was designatedS03-60-01.

It was found that the new Blueberry plant of the present inventiondisplays the following combination of characteristics:

-   -   (a) flowers and fruits at late-season,    -   (b) displays a vase-shaped growth habit and defoliates during        the winter,    -   (c) is not self-fertile,    -   (d) displays a low chilling requirement, and    -   (e) forms in abundance attractive firm light blue berries that        exhibit an excellent sweet flavor.

The new cultivar well meets the needs of the horticultural industry andcan be grown to advantage for the commercial production of blueberries.The new cultivar has proven to be well adapted for growing inwell-drained soils outside tunnels.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be distinguished from itsancestors and all other Blueberry cultivars known to its originators.When compared to the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar (non-patented in the UnitedStates), the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar is evergreen during the winter. Whencompared to the ‘Star’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,675), the ‘Star’cultivar commonly fruits approximately two weeks earlier. When comparedto the ‘Windsor’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,783), the ‘Windsor’cultivar displays a shorter and a more rounded growth habit. Whencompared to the ‘Bluecrisp’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,033), the‘Bluecrisp’ cultivar tends to be more susceptible to Rust. When comparedto the ‘Santa Fe’ cultivar (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,788), the ‘Santa Fe’cultivar requires a considerably longer chill requirement. When comparedto the ‘Biloxi’ cultivar (non-patented in the United States), the‘Biloxi’ cultivar tends to be more susceptible to Stem Blight.

The new cultivar was first asexually reproduced by the rooting ofsoftwood cuttings during the summer of 2003 at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.Such asexual propagation has shown that the characteristics of the newcultivar are firmly fixed and are stably transmitted from one generationto another. Accordingly, the new cultivar asexually reproduces in atrue-to-type manner.

The new cultivar has been named ‘Lucia’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show in color as nearly true as it isreasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of thischaracter, typical plants and plant parts of the new cultivar. Theplants had been asexually reproduced by the rooting of cuttings, andwere being grown outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.

FIG. 1 shows a typical upright flowering plant of the new cultivar. Thevase-shaped growth habit is apparent.

FIG. 2 shows a cluster of typical flowers of the new cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows a close view of typical berries in various stages ofdevelopment of the new cultivar. A light blue mature berry is present atthe center.

FIG. 4 shows a close view of the upper (adaxial) surfaces of a pair oftypical leaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 5 shows a close view of the under (abaxial) surfaces of a pair oftypical leaves of the new cultivar.

FIG. 6 shows a close view of the mature berries of the new cultivartogether with a basis for size comparison.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of the colors described herein isthe R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England. Ordinary color terms are to be accorded their customarydictionary significance. The description is based on the observationwhile growing outdoors at Almonte, Huelva, Spain, of approximatelyfive-year-old plants of the new cultivar which had been asexuallyreproduced by the rooting of cuttings.

-   Plant:    -   -   Growth habit.—generally vase-shaped.        -   Height.—approximately 1.4 m at 5 years of age.        -   Width.—approximately 3.5 m at 5 years of age.        -   Foliage retention.—deciduous, commonly with approximately 60            percent winter defoliation at Almonte, Huelva, Spain.        -   Chill requirement.—less than 300 hours.-   Foliage:    -   -   Shape.—generally elliptic.        -   Length.—commonly approximately 5.5 cm on average.        -   Width.—commonly approximately 3.1 cm on average.        -   Apex.—acute.        -   Base.—acute.        -   Margin.—entire.        -   Texture.—glabrous and non-glandular.        -   Color.—Green Group 137A on the upper (adaxial) surface, and            Green Group 138C on the under (abaxial) surface.-   Flowers:    -   -   Time.—late-season at Almonte, Huelva, Spain, with first            flower commonly at approximately February 15^(th), and 50            percent bloom at approximately February 30^(th).        -   Number.—commonly approximately 6 flowers per bud on average.        -   Petals.—5 in number and fused into a corolla tube.        -   Fertility.—not self-fertile, cross-pollination is required.        -   Fragrance.—none.-   Fruit:    -   -   Time.—commonly from approximately May 10^(th) to June            20^(th) at Almonte, Huelva, Spain (i.e., approximately 41            days).        -   Shape.—generally flattened and round.        -   Height.—commonly approximately 14 mm on average.        -   Width.—commonly approximately 20 mm on average.        -   Weight.—approximately 3.1 g/berry on average during 2008            when plants were 4 years of age.        -   Fruit scar.—approximately 2 mm in size on average.        -   Fruit scar characteristics.—commonly dry and deep.        -   Seed number.—commonly approximately 20 per berry on average.        -   Seed size.—commonly approximately 1.6 mm in length on            average and approximately 0.9 mm in width on average.        -   Immature color.—commonly near Green Group 142D with bloom            and Yellow-Green Group 145A without bloom.        -   Mature color.—light blue, Violet-Blue Group 97B with bloom            and Black Group 202A without bloom.        -   Productivity.—approximately 3.2 Kg/plant on average during            2008 when plants were 4 years of age.        -   Flavor.—excellent sweet flavor.-   Development:    -   -   Ability to store.—when stored at 20° C., approximately 65            percent of the harvest commonly is good 7 days after            harvest, and when stored at 8° C., approximately 100 percent            of the harvest commonly is of good quality 7 days after            harvest.        -   Disease tolerance.—no special sensitivity to common            Blueberry diseases, such as Leaf Rust (Puccininastrum            vacinii), Stem Blight, and Botrytis Blight (Botrytis            cinerea) has been encountered during observations to date at            Almonte, Huelva, Spain. During observations to date the new            cultivar has proven to be less susceptible to Rust than the            ‘Bluecrisp’ cultivar, and less susceptible to Stem Blight            then the ‘Biloxi’ cultivar.        -   Insects.—is susceptible to Aphids and Thrips. During            observations to date the new cultivar has proven to be more            susceptible to Aphids than the ‘Sharpblue’ cultivar.        -   Cultural conditions.—is well adapted for growing in            well-drained soils outside tunnels.

Plants of the ‘Lucia’ cultivar have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date, Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotypic expression may vary somewhat with changes in light intensityand duration, cultural practices, and other environmental conditionswithout variance in the genotype.

1. A new and distinct Blueberry plant that possess the followingcombination of characteristics: (a) flowers and fruits at late-season,(b) displays a vase-shaped growth habit and defoliates during thewinter, (c) is not self-fertile, (d) displays a low chillingrequirement, and (e) forms in abundance attractive firm light blueberries that exhibit an excellent sweet flavor; substantially as hereinshown and described.